They must hear her, surely.

Suddenly she remembered an old disused alarm-bell which hung in the roof.

She had seen the frayed rope belonging to it hanging in an angle of the passage.

She flew to this, and pulled it vigorously till a shrill peal rang out above; and once having accomplished this, she went on, reckless of her own safety, thinking only how many there were to be saved in that house.
All this time there was no sign of her husband, and a dull horror came over her with the thought that he might be perishing miserably below.
There could be no doubt that the fire came from downstairs.

That crackling noise had increased, and every now and then there came a sound like the breaking of glass.